Bilbao, Spain, 4/12/2015, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Spain & Portugal
Today is the last day of our voyage to Spain and Portugal. We ended this voyage in one of the most interesting parts of the Iberian Peninsula, Basque Country. During this entire voyage we have discussed the many waves of conquest that have occurred over the centuries in Spain and Portugal, and in nearly all of them, the Basque country, a thin strip of land north of the Cantabrian Mountains, which lie along the north coast of Spain, have been successfully defended by the Basques. They are probably descended from the earliest human inhabitants of Europe. They speak a language which is unlike any of the Indo-European languages, and they have blood types which are quite different from other modern European groups. They were adept at living and working in the rugged country in northern Spain and southwestern France, which they have occupied for centuries.
We went ashore for a visit the famed Guggenheim Museum, designed by Paul Gehry, which has been the focal point for a remarkable transformation of the city from a rather dingy, very industrial center along the river, to a beautiful panorama of new buildings and bridges that shined in the bright sunlight of the day of our visit. Bilbao and the rest of Basques country are today also the center for economic development in Spain. The rest of the country is feeling the effects of depression in the Eurozone, and people from other parts of Spain are emigrating to Bilbao in search of employment. Bilbao is prosperous because of many industries that are centered there, but the urban development that has transformed the city in the past 30 years has made it one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
A native of California, Jim has been going to sea for most of his life. Jim grew up by the ocean in Southern California, did his undergraduate work in geology at Pomona College, and received his Ph.D. in geology from the University of Wyoming. In 196...
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This brochure title given to this voyage was most appropriate: “The Legacy of the Moors.” For close on a millennium, following the rapid expansion of Islam across North Africa in the late eighth century, the new religion held sway over the Iberian Peninsula, save for a small stretch of territory in the far north. We have visited Granada and Silves, in Spain and Portugal respectively, where Moorish rulers held court and we have learned of the many ways in which Islamic culture, precociously advanced in its time, has subsequently influenced European culture and economic development. Today, in our visit to Santiago de Compostella, we visited the epicenter of the Reconquista , the fight-back by European Christendom to reclaim Iberia from Moorish control. It was a process that took centuries and was inspired by a vision of St James, patron saint of Spain, who appeared in a vision to one of the Christian knights. In Spain St James is known familiarly as Santiago Matamoros, St James the Slayer of the Moors. There is a somewhat politically incorrect (and emphatically anachronistic) sculpture of St James in one of the side chapels of the cathedral’s nave showing a white St James on a rearing white stallion beheading a black Moor with his saber. Last resting place of the nation’s patron saint who inspired the Reconquista , Santiago de Compostella early attracted pilgrims and achieved major status as a pilgrimage center in mediaeval Europe. That pilgrimage tradition has undergone a recent revival: the pilgrimage routes that radiate out across the European continent are now well trodden by pilgrims seeking spiritual fulfillment as in days gone now joined by others happy to use the routes and their associated facilities as long-distance walking trails. On arrival in the great square before the cathedral’s west door in the early morning we witnessed a steady flow of emotionally-charged pilgrims arrived at their final destination. We were to meet them again after our morning tour of the cathedral and its associated buildings at the mid-day celebration of Mass when the names of the pilgrims and their countries of origin were read out before the swinging of the famous botafumeiro , a giant incense burner that once served to sweeten the air soured by the presence of a throng of unwashed pilgrims. The theatrical scene still manages to conjure up the mediaeval world, even if the nave is now illuminated with iPhones rather than candles. Following mass we made our way to the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos , the former hospice that was a gift of Ferdinand and Isabella to the city in the years after the fall of the Granada in 1492. It continued in use as a hospital until the 1950s but is now a five star parador, one of the network of historic hotels run by the Spanish government that have a mission to promote local gastronomy. There we had a traditional Galician meal, preceded by a colorful courtyard performance by a local dance troupe. During the day our ship repositioned from the ria coastline at Muros where we disembarked in the early morning to the attractive fishing port of A Coruña, where we had time to view the Torre de Hercules lighthouse that lays debatable claim to be the oldest continuously functioning lighthouse in the world.
At the end of the day, fragments of facts drift through our minds accumulated by various means. A port is a harbor and a sweet wine. A Scotsman founded a port winery. Bagpipes are a traditional instrument in Galicia and not only in Scotland or Ireland. There are a lot of churches in Europe. And we are leaving Portugal behind. But, maybe we should go back to the beginning of the day and explain ourselves a bit. There is a tranquility found with simplification. The mists of morning reduced our world to a slate of white resting on a smooth black palette. Each element added was the recipient of our total attention. A splash of foam piled upon the shore. Two gannets slowly moved across the scene. From inside, behind the windowpane, the approaching pilot boat seemed as silent as its reflection upon the mirror-like waters. And then suddenly, we found ourselves within the harbor of Leixões at the mouth of the River Douro and the world was filled with hustle and bustle. Mountains of granite blocks and hillocks of crushed glass awaited export. An automobile swung from a crane, lifted from the hold of a freighter. Here was a very busy port. On the north bank of the river, less than 10 kilometers away, was the town of Porto, the destination for half of our group today. Immediately one had to query, “What is the real name of this city?” It seems the English were the source of our confusion starting as far back as the 18 th century. In Portuguese, one says “Oporto” with the initial “o” being the article “the”. In other words, Oporto means “the port”, while the name of the town is simply Porto. Early immigrants however heard Portuguese conversations and assumed that the article was an integral part of the name. Learning to say thank you was almost as confusing. All women say “obrigada” while all men express the thought with “obrigado.” Now, what about the port? It seems the Douro River plays a role in bringing all the necessary ingredients together to make that perfect wine called port. Upstream in the Douro Valley, ideal conditions promote the growth of grapes of many varieties. Aging wine requires stable cool temperatures that can be found a simple boat trip away. Granite outcroppings nearby are sources of insulating building blocks for above ground cellars on the bank of the river and it was here, first in Porto and then in Gaia, that the wineries positioned themselves. We sampled and approved of the products produced by Sandeman’s Winery, founded by the Scotsman George Sandeman in the early 1800’s. The bagpipe tidbit however had nothing to do with port. It was simply a factoid gleaned at Recap in preparation for our next stop in the land of the Basques. And yes, there are a lot of churches, each one more fascinating or ornate than the others. The 12 th -century Cathedral of Porto vied with that of the church of São Francisco for amazing wooden carvings covered in gold leaf. A more distant excursion took in the Bom Jesus Sanctuary and the Cathedral of the city of Braga. Both old and new were explored today. Medieval Guimarães, the birthplace of Portugal’s first king, hosted half our group while the very modern Casa da Música in Porto entertained the others. And then there were those who chose to explore the colorful buildings and tiles of the old town too. Tonight we leave Portugal behind and sleep in anticipation of tomorrow.
